Amali

Amali is a beautiful restaurant, perfect for a romantic date! Our waitress was great, she recommended every dish we tried, and they were all very tasty and satisfying.
The highlight of the night was the Octopus a la Plancha ($ 20). Very generous portion, beautiful plating and it tasted amazing. Definitely a favorite of the night.
We also really enjoyed the Braised Rabbit Cacciatore ($ 30). A very wintery dish, very hearty and filling. Also, very reasonably priced due to the amount of rabbit meat and vegetables that were served. This was my first time trying rabbit and it was very delicious! Definitely recommend!
The Grilled Pork Chop ($ 30) was also very tasty, however, we felt this dish was a little pricey because it wasn’t as big of a portion. But either way, it was delicious and we enjoyed it.
We will definitely be returning to try other dishes~

Came to Amali with my father and brother for his birthday. Dad and I arrived a bit early, so we say at the bar and ordered a couple drinks. I got a kettle dirty martini, which was great, and dad got a gin and tonic. During our convo dad knocked over his drink and the bartender quickly replaced it, no questions asked.
Once my brother arrived we were immediately seated. The atmosphere is very clean and earthy feeling — very relaxed. Our waitress arrived shortly and took drink orders. (They have a great wine selection, btw)
Food: started with a cheese, the rogue smoky blue. It was great! Only issue: three people eating and only three crackers given with a big piece of cheese. Gimme some more crackers please!
Appetizers: Octopus a la Plancha — yum yum yum. The acidity of this dish was great. Definitely a must order dish! and Pink Shrimp: holy moly garlic… So good! They give you two pieces of bread with this but we asked for more (Greeks need to dip!) and it wasn’t an issue at all.
Entrees: I got the Braised Rabbit. Definitely enjoyed it although not sure I would order it again. Just wasn’t wowed by it. My brother ordered the Grass Fed Beef, now that was good! It came a la carte so he ordered a special side of the day which was sweet potato with bacon and herbs — also very good! Dad ordered the grilled dorade (porgy), it was super lemony and grilled beautifully. He ordered spinach as his side, which he also enjoyed.
Dessert: we ordered the hot cocoa cake — a warm chocolate cake filled with a spicy chocolate gelato and topped with a burnt marshmallow topping. It was very rich but very very good. They sent an apple and quince crostata with honey vanilla gelato as a birthday dessert for my brother. That happened to be his fave of the desserts.
Overall, we all enjoyed dining at Amali. It is definitely a restaurant that I would gladly return to with an appetite!

4 girls: 1 from the UES, 2 from afterwork on Park ave., 1 directly from JFK were gathering that night so I though Amali was a great location for all of us to meet.
We ordered an elegant Greek wine suggested by the sommelier that was super affordable, we shared the velvety buratta and octopus to start, had decadent bite of lobster pasta (I detected uni?) which was perfect to share with 4, and had juicy and crispy chicken and dorade for main. The only thing I did not care was the dorade, a little oceanic for my taste but everyone else seem to not mind.
We finished dinner with an apple crostata and boozy baba au rhum.
I had initially picked Amali for the location but I was relieved that the food was delicious as well. One had jet lag and one had a power lunch so we didn’t order 1 entrée per person but the portions were right for us that night.
Our table sat right before prime time on Friday so there were few tables open but the bar got packed quick right after and I saw many waiting for tables to open.
Amali is casual but proper and mature that it’ll be perfect to take my parents when they are in town.

Nice atmosphere, great waiters who are attentive but don’t pry. The theme here seems to be «relaxed Greek/​Mediterranean». One night I saw a certain celebrity dining here (I’m not gonna blow up his spot though) and no one was bothering him/​taking photos, which was kind of cool. Very chill vibe.
Food is awesome and locally sourced/​organic. It’s reasonably priced for the quality. Whoever complained about the ribeye $ price earlier — you should know that that thing is MASSIVE and also it’s grass fed. You get what you pay for, as they say (I’m just saying… watch «Food Inc.» and you’ll see the horrors of eating meat from places where the animals are fed hormones, grains with byproduct instead of natural grass, and antibiotics etc). We should all demand to know where our food comes from. I like that this restaurant is transparent about that, changes things up constantly and buys what’s in season. We also had the veal special one night and it was phenomenal. Pasta special was handmade I think.
For the beer drinkers: I like that they had a special «Donkey» brand beer from Santorini and some really nice white whines from the Greek islands I haven’t seen in other restaurants before.
In the bathroom: they provide Korres products from Greece, which smelled nice. Oh, and also it was spotless in there.
I will be back!

This review will have to be taken with a grain of salt because my dining partner and I were too engrossed in conversation to barely even eat, but I will do my best to give a fair review of Amali.
Amali was fortunate enough to be listed in Eater’s 38 essential restaurants for Fall ’15, and therefore came into the discussion for dinner. I was surprised to find a restaurant in the neighborhood make the list, so I took it upon myself to give it a look. We came into the restaurant on a cold Sunday evening, so the dining room was barely half full and probably much quieter than it usually is. We started off with some cocktails (followed by a second round later), all of which were quite interesting and satisfying.
For an appetizer we had the octopus a la plancha, and for entrees we had the braised rabbit cacciatore and grilled dorade. The octopus was cooked to a good texture and was seasoned well too. The key point of the dinner was that the fish and the rabbit did not come out as soon after cooking as the appetizer, but this was because we took some time to finish it. I will not fault the restaurant for that, but it is a point worth mentioning. Still the fish was cooked and filleted well if a bit underseasoned, and the rabbit was good but not the star of the plate in my opinion. Rather the escarole, white beans, and bacon tasted even better.
Ever since I visited the Mediterranean over the summer, I have sought to recapture that freshness and those flavors back home in New York. Despite great service, good seafood, and an exceptional wine list, Amali comes close but doesn’t quite reach those heights.

Enjoyed a lovely dinner here with my parents a few weeks ago! We got the burrata, octopus, faro salad, and the Amish chicken. The burrata was delicious and served with a balsamic reduction which was really good. The octopus was crispy and served in a yummy vinegar sauce, and the faro salad was great with feta cheese. My only complaint was the Amish chicken which was dry — like really dry. It was expensive and it was disappointing. Other than that though — the setting was great, cozy and intimate, and the staff friendly and personable.

Great atmosphere and terrific service. The main dining room was a bit noisy so ask to be seated in the back dining room which seemed a bit quieter – we were a table of seven and could hear just fine in the back dining room.
The menu is seasonal with a nice variation of smaller plates and full size entrées. Our group stated with the mussels, chick pea soup and warm feta and arugula salad. All were very good but the warm feta salad was an especially pleasant surprise. Main courses included sea scallops, octopus, squid ink tagliatelle and the braised rabbit. Again, no disappointments but the octopus and rabbit were the stand outs.
Amali has a strong wine list with plenty of traditional French, American and Italian wines but ask the sommelier to recommend one of the Greek, Lebanese or other regional wines and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

One more recommendation from Eater´s 38 essential restaurants in New York City.
The place is divided in two rooms, the back room is distasteful, the floor is loathsome.
The menu is tedious.
Why the restaurants around Bloomingdales are middling?
I ate the pink shrimp, it was good, the garlic and oil is a strong combination. The chicken was ok.
I didn’t find it appealing but in that area there is nothing, just mediocre places around. One more to the list.

Amali is a small cozy restaurant. I’ve been here for both a Sunday brunch and dinner/​wine.
For brunch, I tasted the poached eggs dish, the mussels, and the new potato side. I asked whether it was too late to change my order from the poached eggs to the mussels, and they kindly said it wouldn’t be a problem and brought out both.
1. Poached egg: I’m glad I changed my order because the poached eggs were cold and soggy, and didn’t go well with the broth at all. Moreover, I had asked for the pecorino (usually sprinkled on top of the egg) on the side, but my modification was either forgotten or ignored. I didn’t end up taking more than a couple of bites out of the pouched egg, both of which were unenjoyable.
2. Potato side: Amazing! Crispy, but not burnt exterior, and soft and flavorful inside.
3. Mussels: delectable! The mussel broth was amongst the best I have had.
4. Coffee and cappuccino are both mediocre, too dilute for my liking, and very small, and certainly not at all worth 6 dollars in terms of taste. But for the sake of convenience, I would order coffee with my breakfast again.
For dinner, I came with a friend, we sat at the bar and ordered the charcuterie/​cheese plate to go with the wine tasting. We picked the Bourbon Bellavitano, Rogue Smokey Blue and Serrano. The cheese slices were on the smaller size, but everything tasted good. I was disappointed that it did not automatically come with bread. I asked for bread, and 4 slices of grilled buttered bread were brought out. When I asked for more bread, as it was not a sufficient quantity for the amount of cheese, the waiter pulled a slight face, and it took the kitchen a good quarter of an hour to bring the bread. The bartender was knowledgable about wine, and let us taste a few before choosing our glasses. The wine selection is good, but costs $ 20 per glass. I’ve had just as good glasses of wine for less at better restaurants elsewhere in the city.

I came here with my wife on the way to a show in midtown. I normally wouldn’t come to this area to eat because it’s kind of random (not quite upper east side and not really midtown east) and touristy given that Bloomingdales is so close. We heard it was good so we tried it and boy were we glad. Let’s start with the wine. They have a sommelier which is awesome for people that can’t decide what to pick when given so many options. After describing what we were looking for, the somm recommended a really cool wine from Santorini. It was excellent and paired really well with our first dish, the octopus a la plancha. Probably the best or close to the best octopus dish I have ever eaten. The tender octopus came with fingerling potatoes, olives, roasted red peppers and I believe some jalapeños were in there, all in a white vinegar sauce. It’s a must try.
Moving to entrees, I ordered the pappardelle bolognese and my wife ordered the spaghetti a la chitarra. Both were amazing. The pastas were so fresh and the sauces were delicious. Amali nails these classic simple Italian dishes. I read someone complaining about the size of the portions, but found them to be pretty generous.
For the quality of food/​service you are getting at Amali, the prices are a steal. Do yourself a favor, weave in and out of the Bloomingdales tourists and get there.

The food was ok, but is it worth the price? no
Their beef for 2 is $ 95 and grilled fish is $ 90 and salted fish is $ 100. Just a little too pricey for what they offer
The octopus appetizer was small but good. lots of vinaigrette and salad, and about 5 – 6 small pieces of octopus. Don’t expect a big portion, but the octopus was grilled just right, still tender and flavorful. it would’ve been better with bread, but we only got one piece each for a group of about 10 ppl, and it took about 40 minutes to get more bread.
The service was pretty good. except for the bread. I asked 4 different people. I started asking towards the end of appetizers, and we didn’t get it until we were all about done with entrees
The pork ribs were pretty good with a good tzatziki sauce and a really good portion.
The pappardelle bolognese was ok. The pasta was a little thick, but the sauce was good. Again… would’ve been much better with bread… but DIDN“T HAVE ANY WHEN WE ASKED FOR IT. yes, i was peeved. cause it’s good grilled bread. and i kept asking, and it would’ve been really good with the food. but no. didn’t get it until I had finished my entrée.
The chicken under a brick just looked a small sad chicken with a tiny side.
The grass fed steak was $ 45.
dessert was really good. The cottage cheesecake was ehh, but there was this chocolate icecream with warm stuff thing that was amazing. not a great description, I’ll figure it out and edit the post.
All in all, decent food, waaaaaaay too overpriced. Waaay too overpriced. and stop being so cheapy with the bread!!!
I forgot, the broccoli was AMAZING!!! it had pine nuts and something else for flavor and it was SO GOOD. the portion was just too small. maybe i should up the stars just because of the broccoli side… but still, I waited too long for the bread.

Great atmosphere, great cocktails. Roasted chicken under a brick has a very large portion. I appreciated the simple cooking style — that allows you to appreciate the food/​brings out the natural characteristics of the ingredients

Lovely evening dining alone. Food was delicious and service was just right. Wine list was nice and waiter made good recommendation based on what I liked. Will go back.

I did not eat here — they did not have a large seafood selection, so I left.
I am not sure how the food is. the service was very professional and nice though.
I just don’t like to choose from 2 – 3 dishes (that are not salads or apps) when I go out to eat. Even the lobster ravioli had bacon in it.
it looked good though

I didn’t pay for my meal, so I am just relaying what my non-​practical senses are telling me. Food was spot on, maybe minus one item.
Most diners will be downstairs, where there are not that many seats, but feel cozy and welcoming. Loved the vibe. I sat upstairs, in the private room. I loved the concept which is seriously eating at a long dining table, next to an open kitchen (they weren’t cooking anything there), but the table with the window and exposed brick was awesome.
1. Salad: So this was the only item where I was disappointed. It was just a few very veggie-​tasting leaves with mild vinaigrette. Very plain. They could at least done with some cheese or tomatoes — yeesh.
2. Polenta: Wow! Best polenta ever. Great consistency, with a subtle creaminess and a kick. I could eat bowls of this stuff. A must try.
3. Potatoes: This was also surprisingly good. Soft in the middle, slightly crispy on the outside. Even after sitting out for 10 minutes, the crispiness of the potato was maintained. Impressed.
4. Steak: Medium-​rare with amazing seasoning. This was perfect consistency, and wasn’t too salty or heavy, which is a frequent complaint of mine. I wouldn’t change a thing about this dish.
5. Organic salmon: Also done perfectly. The meat of the salmon is good, which is nothing special. However, the best part of this dish is the crispy skin. It gives this dish that little extra something.
6. Greek yogurt with cherry: Very light but satisfying way to end this meal. The cherry was mildly sweet, and the greek yogurt was thick. I heard that the rhubarb with the yogurt was too mild of a dessert.
Meals come with crispy thin bread. I had a white wine that was out of this world.

What an awesome lunch spot in Midtown!
Arrived around 2 and sat in the back room. I was dining solo so it was great to sit in a garden-​like setting with a great book and enjoy some great jazz and an amazing sandwich.
I ordered «The Calabrian» which was an incredible pork-​bomb with crunchy, spicy giardiniera on beautiful fluffy ciabatta. I had a couple delicious iced teas (need to find out what brand they use– it was so delicate and flavorful!) which took care of any potential food coma. Finished my meal by paying with Cover and made it back to the office in under an hour. Super awesome.
Amali is gorgeous and I can’t wait to go back for dinner!

Came here for friend’s baby’s 1 year old birthday celebration (~28 ppl). We had the space upstairs to ourselves and had a family style feast. Since I didn’t see the bill, can’t comment on the value but the food we had tasted were delicious!
Started off 3 types of cured charcuterie from Ends Meat (Brooklyn). Then followed with 2 salads — one was an organic baby lettuce salad with red wine vinaigrette. Didn’t see any dressing in the bowl but it was pre-​mixed with the perfect amount of dressing. It was a nice refreshing way to start the meal. Then we had the Tuscan kale Caesar salad with Grana Padano cheese and bread crumbs. The crispy bread crumbs and the slightly melted cheese went so well with the kale salad. YUMMY! Vegetable never tasted good!
Then came the Cascun Farms roasted chicken «Under a brick» — the chicken was juicy, tender and tasty. It was cooked very well but not unique in terms of flavoring. The pieces were cut for easy/​neat eating though. The Happy Valley grass fed beef skirt steak on the other hand was really outstanding for me. The seasoning on the steak was subtle but had a slight kick in the end. This was passed around in a big plate with cut up strips. There were some medium-​well cooked pieces from the edge of the steak while the middle parts were more medium/​medium-​rare. It was quite delicious. Dessert was yogurt panna cotta with pomegranate seeds. it was okay. I like my panna cotta a bit more firm.
There was one room we had to pass through to get to the dining room and that was where the cake and gifts were. It was nice to be able to get up from the table to sing happy birthday and cut the cake. The décor of the dining area was classy and with some exposed bricks, it felt like someone’s home. There was a semi-​kitchen and it looked the space can be utilized for private cooking parties or any other kind of private parties. My friend had decorated it in a cutesy bear/​balloon theme. Great place. Would come back to try other dishes in the regular dining area

Brief update: I’ve gone back for brunch a few times and the food continues to be spectacular. The service is also amazing. The octopus appetizer is easily one of my favorite dishes. They also seem to have switched their recipe for biscuits to a better one (and I liked the original).
Only one bummer: apparently the rear section I sat in during my first couple visits is no longer open for brunch, only dinner. It’s a shame because the lighting in that area is absolutely gorgeous. If you do go for brunch, when you use the rest rooms take a peek at the beautiful back seating area.

What the bloody hell happened to this place?
First time back in about six months and all of the dishes we tried are now overly salty and not really edible. The availability of 1000 point tables for a late lunch on Saturday along with a near-​empty restaurant should have been the first clue as to how far this place has fallen.
We ordered pretty much the same thing as we ordered last time. The biscuits first followed by pasta. This time we also had the farro salad as well. The biscuits were now smaller — quantity same. The quality of the biscuits were as we remembered but we could not finish the pasta or the farro salad as they were both offensively salty.
Unfortunate and sad to see the wheels coming off like this. It would otherwise have been a four star based on what we experienced there before.

Amali looks nothing short of out of place on East 60^th Street. In a neighborhood dominated by looming skyskrapers, chain stores, and an omnipresent corporate atmosphere, its nearly hidden, below-​sidewalk level entrance is easily passable. Enter, though, and you’ll be greeted by a dimly-​lit bar and dining room, with pale, corrugated walls and wooden tables. The menu, at first glance, sticks closely to the origins of the restaurant’s name, which is taken from a region once shared by Italy, Greece, and Turkey. As such, pasta dishes share the same page as plates featuring labne and octopus, and there’s an unabashed use of olive oil in many dishes.
Our table began with a few shared plates. The first, the Burrata di Campagna, featured a generous portion of silky, creamy burrata cheese lighted dressed in kritiko olive oil. The fresh, mild flavor of the mozzarella was a solid starting bite, and a touch of acidity and sprinkling of crushed black pepper were much appreciated additions. The Crispy Baby Artichokes were also surprisingly aromatic, served with a touch of mint and a parsley-​lemon aoili. I didn’t taste much of the promised pecorino, but the additional meatiness would have been an appreciated contrast.
As for the Duck Liver Pâté that I ordered, the pâté came in two generously sized cuts with grilled country bread. The texture was spot-​on — smooth, spreadable — and the richness and minerality of the liver was present in each bite. It became monotonous halfway through, however, and I wished for some kind of compote, a sweetness or acidity, to help counter the richness of the liver. The second block was left untouched, but the staff was happy to place it in an (albeit ridiculously large) container to take home.
I had, of course, been curious about the three pastas listed on Amali’s menu. The Spaghetti was modestly portioned, a bright serving of pasta with cured San Marzano tomatoes, a sprinkling of Fiore Sardo, and several leaves of basil. The spaghetti itself was a little confusing; the noodles were flat and limp, and had almost no chew to them. While I did love the acidity present in the tomatoes and the fragant edge from the basil, I couldn’t find much that the pecorino contributed and the overall flavor profile wasn’t particularly remarkable.
Amali falls into that grey area for me; while the ambiance and service were fitting, the food had its highs and lows across the board. Make sure to plan accordingly, though, as arriving later will mean a more crowded, louder dining room, magnified by the lack of windows and the fact that the venue is situated underground. But for those looking for a cozy dining space in the Midtown East neighborhood, Amali will fit the bill. It’s perhaps best suited for a glass or two of wine from their extensive wine list, and a variety of shared small plates.